1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments relate to a muscular strength enhancing robot and a method of driving the robot, and more particularly, to a muscular strength enhancing robot driven by an intention of a user and a method of driving the robot.
2. Description of the Related Art
A muscular strength enhancing robot operates for rehabilitation or assistance in surmounting disabilities while being worn on a portion of a body of a user. Such a robot may detect a small movement of the portion and increase a velocity and strength of the movement.
The detecting of the movement may be performed based on a change in acceleration, and a speed and a direction at and in which the robot is driven may be determined based on the acceleration.
When the user permanently wears the robot, a weight of the robot may add a considerable load to the user. Thus, efforts have focused on providing a lighter and more wearable robot while maintaining a function of the robot.
However, such efforts may generate side effects in terms of a system function.
For example, in a case of a muscular strength enhancing robot with a small mass, acceleration may change greatly by a slight change in strength, and thus an operation speed to be calculated therefrom may be unintentionally incorrect.
In detail, a total input energy of a system of the robot, which is associated with the acceleration, may become smaller than a total output energy of the system. In such a case, the system may become unstable, and thus malfunction and functional deterioration may occur.
In such a case when the total output energy of the system is greater than the total input energy of the system, the system may be in an active state, which indicates that the system is unstable. Conversely, when the total output energy is less than the total input energy, the system may be in a passive state, which indicates that the system operates stably.
Thus, there is a desire for technology for minimizing a side effect occurring from weight lightening of a muscular strength enhancing robot and for stabilizing a system of the robot.